Volunteers fan out for Big Sunday events

Much of Orange County may not have heard of Big Sunday Weekend, but that may not last long.

The founding organization based in Hollywood has been around for 15 years, having inspired some 300 volunteer events this year. The themed weekend, which came to Orange County five years ago, included a couple of dozen events this year, organizers said.

Big Sunday Executive Director David Levinson built the movement on the Jewish tradition of Mitzvah Day, on which a congregation spends one day volunteering together through a variety of projects and activities.

Big Sunday no longer has an official religious affiliation, but it brings religious and non-religious groups together for a weekend of charitable activities across five states. The emphasis is on inclusiveness. The only restriction, Levinson said, is that those affiliating cannot take a stand on controversial issues.

Levinson, 53, of Los Angeles said volunteering on Big Sunday Weekend is not limited to a single cause.

"If what they really want to do is to help homeless people, veterans, dogs or the environment, there is something for everybody," he said. "The idea is to do it together," Levinson said.

One of the 20-plus organizations participating Sunday, Second Harvest Food Bank, saw a turnout of about 80 people Sunday morning at its Incredible Edible Park in Irvine. The volunteers were taught how to plant tomatoes and pick green beans, all of which would help provide 400 Orange County agencies with the supplies for 80,000 annual meals.

Soosie Sohn, Tustin chapter coordinator for Lion's Heart, a teen-volunteering organization, said she was not aware of Big Sunday Weekend before she saw on the Big Sunday website that the food bank's park had openings for volunteers. Since volunteer wait times at the park can last up to a year, Sohn said she wants to be sure her volunteers are involved at the park, and other Big Sunday events, next year.

"I wish there were more events in Orange County," she said. "We would always pencil this in."

Max Goldenberg of Tustin said he enjoyed planting and picking crops at the park because he knows food is a much-needed resource in his community.

"We are changing lives because these meals are helping people," Goldenberg, 10, said. "They need this food because it keeps them alive."

Ciry Hurtado, 40, was one of 25 residents chosen for a day of beauty and fashion makeovers geared toward Mother's Day.

At her apartment's resource center, she received a haircut and style from stylists at Costa Mesa's Tek Salon and Spa, just one of a few treatments that made her feel special.

"I came with my neighbors, and I am happy that we can come and take advantage of this because it is free," Hurtado said. "I usually wait three to four months between haircuts, and even longer to do my nails."

JCC Cares volunteer Adrienne Matros said she hopes to see Orange County establish its own Big Sunday volunteer hub one day. In the meantime, she enjoys the sense of community the weekend brings to local religious centers, such as University Synagogue and The Islamic Institute of Orange County, which also hosted Big Sunday Weekend events.